Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-09-01
sLICiNG APRlCOTS.
Scene in "A san Frsaci.co Fsct3rr-W Women
and Children Wording fIr PIttance.

SceEs In a san Frsacl.co Fsct,rr-WaneB
and Children Wording fur a Pittance.
What miscellaneous crowd OF
women, girls. boys, and children gel
together at fruit season in canning
factory, says the san Francisco Chros
icle. The labor bureau has bpen tarn-
ing the light of inquiry upon this field
of work, and it has revealed one Of
the most variegatcd pictures of life
The work is light. 1t may be done by
q boy years old. j, requires but lit.
tie acquired skill, and while the fling.
crs fly the tongue may gossip. 1t is
the height of the apricot season now,
and tie work Of the fruit-cutters is
simply to girGle this yellow and rosy
fruit with the sharp blade of knife,
Hing the stone out, and drop the two
fat checks of the apricot into basket.
That is the task Of the miscellaneous
crowd which now finds employment
in the canning factories.
or course the fruit, when it passes
the preliminary stage, Coca into the
hands OF cooks aud then into those of
Gamers, reputcd 10 be skjiiful. But
the first stage Of the preparation is of
most interest because Of the motley as
sOrtment of people who handle it.
And who is it that cuts the fruit?
No painter Of the Stuttgart school
could adequately portray the old
clothes, the tired faces, the bright
eyes, the lines of care, the rosy cheeks,
altogether che extremes of sorrowful
old age and merry young people, all
with flying fingers, that engage in cut
ting fruit in San Francisco canning
factory.
Let few of the characters be
roughly sketched and afterward let
them be asked how much they earn
and hos they live.
There is one well-dressed young
woman sitting at table with great
heap Of apricOts before her. Her hands
fly like machinery. Her cheeks are
rosy and plump, her bust is well
rounded, and her waist is of healthful
size; her blonde hair is braided and
then coiled in knot. She is evidently
II foreigner; her whole appearance in
dictates it. AS she works like q rusn-
ing torrent she chances over her
shoulder every instant to look after Il
little boy baby that can just toddle
The little fellow has a pile Of sticks in
front of him on the Eoor, and is en-
gagged in building house. The moth
or keeps sharp eye on the little
chap. and when he gets on his feet and
steadies himself, and then plungcs oil,
either in the direction of the door,
where the light streams in from the
street, or toward a group of boys and
girls about heap of apricots, the
young mother skips from her perch
by the table, darts after the yoangster,
and brings him back with a vigorous
shake to his pile of sticks. The little
fellow pouts awhile, and soon again
is toddling away.
Take the group that the little fellow
made for. There are four or five in
it, one q young colored girl dozen
years old. She seems as merry as
lark. She grins and her eyes dance,
but her hands keep flying all the time.
a few boys steal in from the street,
and she slips them few apricots, but
the eagle eye of the boss sees the trans
action, and soon has the voungstcr by
the arm, leading him roughly out to
the street, and then comes back to
scold the daring girl, who grins more
than ever. Another of this group is
a young American girl, who has
reached the age when she gladly re-
ceives the attention Of the boys. She
is about Is or 16. She is got up to the
full limit of style that her purse will
allow. Her hair is banged and
cri,,1nad apd - o,.na,Dod IN tl,a io.o,t
style. In the back is a coil with
dainty little curl hanging from the
center. Her hands Ay. too. but she
finds occasion to talk with the youth
who sits opposite her. lie is making
love desperately, and don't get along
very rapidly halving apricots. He is
in the spooney state. when he looks
ridiculous. The others about the pile
Of apricots, that arc quickly diminish
ing in bulk, are three or four young
girls, who look on ut the antics Of the
youth, while they slit open tho april
cots amazingly fast.
Take one OF the long benches, at
which twenty or thirty people are at
work. There i. A. little boy perched
on high stoo! cutting apricots like
mad and making gr;lnaccs Mt the girl
opposite. Nest Is IA old woman of
GO, with sad face ami i great kerr
chief over lpr head, to ends brought
under her ci;n aud ted there. Then
there is fai, jolly Italian natron
standing next, with hnr sleeves rolled
up and her knife Nh HkiHg around the
apricots Ike a buzz saw. She is in
animated conversation, after the style
OF her people, with her neighbors.
The there is tiny girl, busy with
her "prlcots, and next tp her an old
woman, and thus on 10 tie end.
they are there from every tribe aud
nation; they are of every color and
complexion; OF ali ages, sizes, weights
all bent on work.
But let one young girl speak for her
self:
II have three sisters and father.
Il work in the factory in summer
and go to school in the winter.
al begin ut $50 O'Clock iii the morn
ing and work till IL. Then / 90 out
and buy 4 scent lunch and come back
at 1880 o'clock and work till 5.
81 can earn so cents Il day, or s. a
week.
Il give what earn to my father.
when | work by the piece | get 4
cents basket
Il can cut twelve to thirteen bask-
cts of apricotS day.
~ walk homo and to the factory.
Il am well treated in the factory.
Il can stand up or sit dom while
| work, just as like.
Il am well enough satisfied"
The wages earned by the women.
girls. and boys range from Sc to $50
per week, according to the facility
that each possesses. The work is light,
requiring little acquired skill.
The canning factory is a busy scene
when all the hands are at work. 1t
would be difficult to see any where
more motley group of people, chatter
ing in all languages. than is found
here.
Colorcd individual engaged in steal
ing watermelon. Indignantly
van dc srrn,frtuan dat fired dat hullet